Tipping Point
"No, I only matter to you."
Written by Miles Luna & Kerry Shawcross
Directed by Kerry Shawcross, Gray G. Haddock & Miles Luna
Directed by Kerry Shawcross, Gray G. Haddock & Miles Luna
Tyrian: My little flower, I'm here to whisk you away with me!
Nora: Well, what if she doesn't want to go with you?
Tyrian: Well, I'll take her.
Jaune: We're not going to let you do that.
Nora: Well, what if she doesn't want to go with you?
Tyrian: Well, I'll take her.
Jaune: We're not going to let you do that.
Weiss encounters drama in the aftermath of the Schnee's charity concert. Meanwhile, RNJR comes across Oniyuri - Anima's own Mountain Glenn. Unfortunately, it's not all they encounter - Tyrian catches up to them.
Tropes in this episode include:
- Beware My Stinger Tail: Once Tyrian's scorpion tail is revealed, he very effectively uses it as a fifth limb. He can block weapon attacks with it, including a fully-powered Nora, and he can use it as a weapon in its own right, often attempting to stab his opponent with the stinger while they're busy trying to fight his wrist blades or kicks.
- Big Damn Heroes: When Tyrian defeats the entire group, he shatters Ruby's Aura and pins her to ground. She's helpless and about to be hit with Tyrian's stinger when Qrow blocks the tail just barely in time.
- Big "WHAT?!": When Ruby gets frustrated at how long the journey to Haven is taking, her companions find out she is so unaware of the geographical vastness of the world that she thought the journey would only last a couple of weeks. Jaune's disbelief at her ignorance is expressed as an incredulous "What?!".
- Blood Knight: When Tyrian admits that the reason he's there is to kidnap Ruby, Jaune pointedly tells him that they'll fight to prevent that from happening. Tyrian's response is an emphatic "Good!". He gets a big kick out of fighting the group and trying to sting them with his scorpion tail.
- Control Freak: Although seemingly engrossed in a conversation during the charity fundraiser, Jacques instantly reacts to Weiss turning away as if to leave, grabbing her by the arm. He only reluctantly lets her go when she claims she wants to get a drink. When Weiss lashes out at the guests for their petty, self-absorbed attitudes, Jacques hurries over and orders her to stop making a scene. He grabs her by the arm again, causing her to use so much force to pull free that she loses her balance and falls over.
- Curb-Stomp Battle: Team RNJR has no answer to the tactics Tyrian uses. Their skills and fighting experience are no match for Tyrian's speed, agility, and skill. He defeats them quickly and shatters Ruby's Aura. He's just about to stab Ruby with his scorpion stinger when Qrow arrives to save her.
- Exactly What I Aimed At: Tyrian turns his back on Ruby and charges at Nora, so Ruby takes careful aim and fires. The shot streaks past Tyrian, just missing him as he twists to look behind in surprise, and hits Nora instead. Tyrian laughs at Ruby's poor aim, only to discover Ruby hit exactly what she was aiming at; she fired a lightning Dust round at Nora, whose Semblance strengthens her when charged with electricity.
- Exact Words: When Jacques discusses Faunus rights with a guest at the charity fundraiser, he comments that the Faunus grievance falls apart at the first hurdle because Faunus are getting the same wages as the rest of his workers. What he doesn't say is how good or bad his employee salaries actually are.
- Failed a Spot Check: Henry Marigold wonders if the fundraiser is for Mantle right in front of a sign clearly saying the fundraiser is to raise money for Vale. Given his self-absorbed personality, its not really a surprise.
- Get Out!: Henry casually tells Weiss, right in front of a giant painting of Beacon Academy and a sign stating the fundraiser is to raise money for Vale's plight, that he has no idea what the charity fundraiser is about, who it's for, and that he doesn't care; he only comes to these gatherings for the food, drink, and company. Weiss tells him to get out before she has security come and throw him out.
- Go Through Me: Nora, Jaune, and Ren make it clear that they are not going to let Tyrian take Ruby away. Nora and Jaune physically plant themselves in between Tyrian and Ruby.
- Hope Spot: After spending several minutes smacking around Team RNJR with relative ease, Tyrian finally seems to be caught off guard when Ruby deliberately shoots Nora with an electrically charged shot. Nora winds up to hit him...and his scorpion tail No Sells it. It only gets worse from there.
- No-Sell: Nora is not hurt by electrical attacks but becomes stronger through them; Ruby intentionally shoots her with electricity Dust so that she can power up for a massive strike on Tyrian. He no sells it right back.
- No Sympathy: The socialites at the fundraiser frequently talk about normal things instead of showing any sympathy for Vale's plight. Eventually, when a trophy wife mockingly notes that Vale deserved to be destroyed by the Grimm, Weiss furiously lectures the room on their petty self-absorption.
- "The Reason You Suck" Speech: Weiss snaps and calls out everyone at the fundraiser for their petty and self-absorbed behavior, especially since not one of them actually cares about Vale's plight.
- The Reveal: When Ruby super-charges Nora's strength with electricity so that Nora can hit Tyrian with a finishing blow, they discover that Tyrian has easily blocked the blow with a scorpion tail. He pulls off his duster to reveal that he's actually a scorpion Faunus instead of a human.
- Rich Bitch: Most of the social elite of Atlas counts, but the trophy wife who Weiss inadvertently sics her Boarbatusk on stands out, considering the fact that she has absolutely No Sympathy for Vale's plight and gloats that the kingdom deserved to be sacked by Grimm.
- Scary Scorpions: Tyrian is a scorpion Faunus. He is also Ax-Crazy.
- Spider-Sense: When Tyrian runs towards the ghost town Team RNJR are in, Ren somehow senses his approach. He closes his eyes to concentrate and reaches for his guns. It's the only sign the others need to know they're in danger. Ren seems to identify which direction Tyrian is coming from moments before Tyrian appears.
- Trophy Wife: The woman who said that Vale deserved its fate is literally listed as this in the credits.
- True Companions: Team RNJR prove to have this bond in this episode, but it is far from being enough to defeat Tyrian.
- Ungrateful Bitch: When Weiss accidentally unleashes a summoned Boarbatusk on the trophy wife for laughing about Vale deserving its fate, the woman begs for it to stop and apologizes profusely. The second Ironwood dispatches it, she immediately demands Weiss be locked up for insanity. Ironwood dismisses the complaint with disdain, claiming that Weiss is the only person present who's talking any sense.
- Ungrateful Townsfolk: Weiss is outraged to discover that not one person at the fundraiser actually cares about helping Vale or has any sympathy for Vale's plight, and only come for the food, drink, and company. She eventually loses her cool and lambasts everyone in attendance for their selfishness. Ironwood himself openly agrees with Weiss' assessment of Atlas' elite and storms out of the party.
- Upper-Class Twit: The social elite of Atlas are portrayed as a bunch of self-absorbed and petty people whose "problems" are trivial compared to the devastation going on elsewhere. The woman who claims that Vale deserved its fate is even credited as "Trophy Wife".
- Villain Takes an Interest: Tyrian is pretty dismissive of both Ren and Nora; however, when he sees Jaune he admits that he does find him interesting. He's only after Ruby because he's been ordered to; his interest in Jaune is therefore entirely personal.
- The Worf Barrage: Tyrian effortlessly blocks a hammer swing by an electrically charged Nora, an attack that has previously taken out an entire team of opponents and which has always been used as both Team JNPR and Team RNJR's trump card in battle. Tyrian easy dismissal of the attack is a stark reminder that he is an experienced fighter handling a bunch of inexperienced (by comparison) kids.
